‘But it’s divine,’ Caitlyn countered.
‘It will be,’ Lazzaro affirmed. ‘But I’ve managed to knock at least a couple of zeros off the asking price—they need to sell, and fast.’
‘How do you know?’
‘Because it’s my job to know. Today has been extremely worthwhile.’
‘Good.’ Caitlyn concentrated on her food as she spoke. ‘So, does that mean we’ll finish up soon?’
‘Why? Do you have plans tonight?’
‘No, but you might.’ Forcing herself, she looked up at him. ‘We’ve got a lot of work done today. If we push on, maybe we can head back to Melbourne, and you could—’
‘Have you any idea how much this place is worth?’ Lazzaro interrupted, and though the figure he gave was impressive, Caitlyn remained tight-lipped. ‘I am hardly likely to make such a decision before I have seen more of the resort’s workings myself. Anyway—’he tried to lighten the tone ‘—you have a massage booked, and I really should wander over to the golf course.’
‘I can’t really picture you as a golfer.’
‘I’m not.’ Lazzaro gave a small unworried shrug.
‘You can’t just bluff your way through a game of golf.’
‘Bluff?’ Lazzaro frowned.
‘Pretend you’re good…’ Caitlyn attempted.
‘Ahh, but I’m very good,’ Lazzaro said, standing up. ‘I just hate the bloody game—it’s not my fault I’m excellent at it.’
There certainly were perks to being Lazzaro Ranaldi’s assistant, Caitlyn thought as she lay down on the massage table. Having been exfoliated practically to the bone, and peeled, tweezed and waxed till there wasn’t a superfluous hair or skin cell left on her body, it was time for the skilled hands of the masseur to massage away all her tension. Closing her eyes, she tried to relax, tried to close her mind to the jumble of thoughts—and it did help. But only for a little while. Because just as she was almost relaxed, just as she was about to sink into mindless oblivion, it was as if two hands dived in and pulled her up, forcing her to the surface, back to the constant whirl of her thoughts.
When finally she was wrapped in a fluffy robe, sipping a ginger, camomile and lemon tea in her room, Caitlyn honestly wondered if she had the strength to face Lazzaro at dinner tonight. The man whose company she had craved for two years was just too exhausting, too bewildering for her today.
Maybe she could ring in sick?
No such luck. Her phone trilled and, glancing at the caller ID, Caitlyn knew she was going to have to face him.
‘Hi, Antonia!’ Caitlyn said warmly. ‘How are you?’
‘Great…though I really wanted to talk with Lazzaro. I’m having no luck getting him on his mobile, and his room phone just keeps ringing out.’
‘He’s playing golf,’ Caitlyn said helpfully. ‘He probably didn’t take his phone…’ Hearing the sigh on the other end of the line, imagining how she’d feel if she had such a massive piece of news to share, Caitlyn relented. ‘I’ll go and knock on his door, and if he’s not there I’ll pop a note under.’
As she opened her door to do just that, Caitlyn jumped with nerves. The man himself was striding past, frowning as she called out to him—‘It’s Antonia…’ Slinking back into her room, embarrassed and awkward, Caitlyn sat down and sipped at her disgusting tea as Lazzaro took the call—the call he’d clearly been dreading.
‘Fantastic…’ For once Lazzaro’s usually clipped voice was effusive. ‘You’ve already told her? She must be thrilled!’
If Caitlyn closed her eyes, if she just listened to his words, she’d believe him—could almost envision him pumping a fist into the air at the joyous news. Only Caitlyn’s eyes weren’t closed, and she could see Lazzaro—leaning against the wall, his shoulders hunched, his forehead resting in the palm of his hand, his profile rigid, a muscle flickering in his cheek as he took in the ‘happy’ news.
‘I’m sorry, Antonia—it’s just one thing after another. We’re stuck here tonight and most of tomorrow. You should be with Malvolio anyway…Well, I am buying this golf course—it seems prudent that I at least give it a go. But I’ll be there as soon as I can, and I’ll let…’